Parabel breaks ground on large scale commercial farm to produce award winning LENTEIN protein in Florida
MELBOURNE, Florida, Nov. 25, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Parabel USA Inc., a provider of sustainable solutions for food ingredient production announced today that it has signed a lease for 450 acres of land in Fellsmere, Florida, to start production of its LENTEIN protein, recipient of the prestigious Innovation Award at IFT Food Expo in July.
Parabel estimates that the total investment will be around $10 million in this location which will be followed by other locations already chosen by Parabel and validated for growth and other parameters.
Protein is considered as a route to a healthier lifestyle through weight management and as this new protein ingredient is extracted from protein rich water lentils, it would also be free of major allergens such as soy and gluten.
"We are proud to introduce the first commercial processing system of water lentils in Fellsmere, USA," says Parabel CEO Anthony Tiarks. "There are no other protein ingredients in the market that can deliver such volumes in a sustainable way and at the right price and we now have the right location to do this, and it's in the USA. Sourcing fresh, non GMO ingredients is an issue that food manufacturers are struggling with today. We hope to be part of solving these issues."
The global food industry has expressed great interest in this nutritious and functional ingredient and many are waiting for commercial quantities of the product for inclusion into their existing products or development of new products with healthy claims. 'Made in the USA' is seen as another benefit by the global health and wellness industry.
Parabel has been looking for the ideal location to build its first farm and found it close to its pilot plant in Florida. The state has an abundance of water, sunshine and flat land which sets it apart from other states in the USA when it comes to agriculture. The processing plant is set to be ready in the second quarter of next year and products can be expected shortly after that.
This is Parabel's first large scale commercial site and will be equipped with Parabel's patented technology. The technology is a combination of patent granted and patent pending systems. This site will produce 1,000 metric tons of product per year at the outset and production will increase to 4,000 metric tons. Parabel has also chosen several other locations in South America and East Africa, where the growth has been validated, and will increase production into these regions as demand increases. The system is highly scalable and customizable to market requirements.
Parabel is a global company with aquafarms around the world, headquartered in Florida, USA. The company's system delivers strong economic returns to customer licensees as well as nutrition and sustainability to the food industry. For more information about Parabel and LENTEIN visit www.Parabel.com or contact Cecilia Wittbjer at cwittbjer@parabel.com
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